Horse-releaser.



N0.-774,094. PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904-.

H. A. LBVITT. HORSE RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.18, 1904. RENEWED SEPT. 1 1904. N0 MODEL.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 1-.

H. A. LEVITT.

HORSE RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1904. RENEWED SEPT. l, 1904. N0 MODEL.

PATENTED NOV. 1, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented November 1, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EETCE.

HARVEY A. LEVITT, OF AITKEN, MICHIGAN.

HORSE-RELEASER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,094, dated November 1, 1904.

Application filed. January 18, 1904:. Renewed September 1, 1904. Serial No. 222,999 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, HARVEY A. Lnvrr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aitken, in the county of Sanilac, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Releasers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to horse-releasers; and it has for its object to provide a construction including a swingletree having means for engagement with the tugs or traces and from which latter said engaging means may be withdrawn by the occupant of the vehicle, a further object of the invention being to provide means for securing the holdback to the shafts and from which the holdback will be readily withdrawn when the horse is released.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a pair of shafts with the swingletree attached and illustrating the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the swingletree and the engaged end portions of traces. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally through a swingletree. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 8 with the parts in releasing positions. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing a shaft with the means for attachment of the holdbacks.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a portion of the vehicle 5, having the shafts 6 and 7 connected thereto in the usual manner and upon the cross-bar of which shafts is mounted a swingletree 8. The end portions of the swingletree 8 are tapered, and upon these tapered ends are secured the thimbles 9 and 10, which are hollow and in the outer ends of which are slidably mounted the plungers 11 and 12, which are grooved peripherally, so as to retain the traces 13 and 14, which are engaged thereover. The grooves in the members 11 and 12 are formed in the rear sides only thereof, so that when said members are moved into the thimbles 9 and the traces by striking against the ends of the thimbles will be forced from the plungers, so as to disconnect them from the swingletree. To hold the traces against accidental movement from the plungers, spring-fingers 15 and 16 are secured to the swingletree be' yond the inner ends of the thimbles and eX- tending longitudinally of the latter project therebeyond to the outer ends of the plungers.

'The spring-fingers are curved downwardly at their free ends, so that the traces can only be withdrawn from the plungers when the latter are projected by forcing the fingers upwardly. To retract the plungers and draw them out of the eyes of 'the traces, a T-shaped lever 17 is pivoted within the thimble 10, one end of the head of which lever is connected by the rod 18 with the plunger 12, while arod 19 is connected to the opposite end of the head of the lever and extending longitudinally through a passage in the swingletree enters the thimble 9, where it is attached to the plunger 11, so that if the lever 1'7 is rocked both rods 18 and 19 will he reciprocated, so that the plungers will be alternately drawn into their respective thimbles and projected therefrom.

An arm 20 projects from the stem of the T-shaped lever through the side of the thimble 10, where it is provided with a finger-piece 21, which may be grasped and actuated to rock the lever.

In order that the plungers may be retracted from the vehicle, a cord 22 is attached to the finger-piece and is passed longitudinally of the swingletree and through an eye 22 and then upwardly over the dashboard of the vehicle. This cord may be grasped and drawn upon to retract the finger-piece, at which time the plungers will be drawn from the traces.

In order that the breeching of the horses harness may not prevent the latter from passing from between the shafts when the traces are released, fastening devices are mounted upon the shafts 6 and 7, each of these devices comprising a ring or loop including a rear rigid section 25 and a pivoted front section 26, which is held normally by a spring 27 in position to complete the loop in connection with the rear section. The pull of the breeching in action is against the rear rigid section of the loop on each shaft; but when the traces are released the rings of the breeching that are engaged with the loops are drawn onto the front pivoted sections of the latter, which yield to the pull and permit the rings to be drawn therefrom.

What is claimed is- 1. In a horse-releaser, a swingletree having hollow thimbles secured to its ends, a plunger mounted in each thimble and movable to lie wholly Within the thimble or to project therefrom, a lever mounted within one of the thimbles, rods connected to said lever at on posite sides of its pivot and to the plungers and means connected with the lever for rock ing it.

2. In a horse-releaser, a swingletree having hollow thimbles secured to its ends, a plunger mounted in each thimble and movable to lie wholly within the thimble or to project therefrom, said plungers being grooved peripherally at their rear sides, spring-fingers secured to the swingletree and extending over the plungers when the latter are in projected positions, a lever pivoted within one of the thimbles, rods connected to the plungers and to the lever at opposite sides of its pivot and means connected with the lever for rocking it.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY A. LEVITT.

WVitnesses:

J. P. NIGGEMAN. 'IVALTER CALKENs. 

